Alexandria theater building. Historic building of the Alexandrinsky Theater

For the needs of the entrepreneur Kazassi. The institution was named the Kazassi Theatre. After the fire at the Bolshoi Theater in 1811, the architect Thomas de Thomon proposed to rebuild this theater by expanding its stage and hall. But this was interrupted by the War of 1812.

Talk about rebuilding the theater continued after the war, when Emperor Alexander I returned to St. Petersburg. For the new owner of the Anichkov Palace, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the space of the estate was put in order, but there was not enough money to rebuild the Kazassi establishment. At this time, the funds went to the construction of the General Staff building. Despite the refusal to build a theater, the design of the square with a new building in the 1810s was made by Karl Rossi, who was engaged in altering the interiors of the Anichkov Palace.

Rossi's project began to be implemented with the coming to power of Nicholas I. The emperor wished to rebuild the square in front of the Grand Duke's palace, which was entrusted to the architect. On April 5, 1828, the project was approved, and the next day a Commission was created "for the construction of a stone theater and two buildings behind it." N. Selyavin, vice-president of the Cabinet, headed the commission. Rossi's assistants at the construction site were the architects N. Tkachev and I. Galberg.

By the spring of 1828, 950,000 rubles were paid from the treasury to the owners of the plots necessary for the construction. Those who were in no hurry to make room were forcibly evicted in one week.

For the foundation of the theater, about 5,000 piles were driven into the ground. The walls of the building were erected in the same year. In 1829, they began to install ceilings, which the architect planned to make from metal. This decision was opposed by General Engineer P. Bazin, who headed the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works. He expressed his doubts about the reliability of metal ceilings in a report to the emperor. Nicholas I created a commission in order to examine the project "for the installation of metal rafters and the roof of the newly built theater on Nevsky Prospekt, whether the walls and rafters will withstand the weight of the machines and whether this device will be dangerous." Work at the Alexandrovsky iron foundry of M. Clark, which manufactured these structures, was suspended. Carl Rossi and M. Clark were asked to provide a model and explanations. In connection with these events, the architect Rossi wrote the following letter to the Emperor:

"Excellent prince, gracious sovereign!
I had the honor to receive an order from Your Excellency, dated September 2, with the announcement that the Sovereign Emperor, having considered the opinion of General Bazin and other papers ... regarding the installation of metal roofs on the newly built theater ... deigned to stop all work on this device until the command.
In this case, I take the liberty of conveying to Your Excellency that when His Imperial Majesty deigned to approve my project for a new theater and chose me to build it, then I was clothed with fullness and perfect power of attorney, which I had the happiness to justify by experience by others already made by me. buildings that are not among the ordinary ones, such as: the device of a metal archive in the General Staff building and the conical vault of a large arch connecting the General Staff Building with the new building from the side of Malaya Millionnaya. Now, to the greatest regret, I see that I am completely deprived of this power of attorney, and envy and intrigues triumph.
As a result of this, and in order not to darken my reputation, I most humbly ask ... to apply for permission to complete the work begun on the installation of a metal roof, personally for me, together with Mr. Clark, according to our system. Both I and Mr. Clark answer with honor and head that not the slightest misfortune will occur from the mentioned roof and that the whole device will have the proper strength ...
In conclusion, I will inform Your Excellency that in the event that any misfortune should occur in the mentioned building from the installation of a metal roof, then as an example for others, let them immediately hang me on one of the rafters ... "[Quoted from: 2, 528]

After inspecting the finished metal structures on September 19, 1829 at the Clark factory, Nicholas I announced the decision: "... continue the stone construction of walls for a metal roof and immediately put several iron rafters for the roof for testing, and also put cast-iron rafters and above the stage after making over them experience in advance at the factory ... "The test consisted in checking the strength of the rafters by hanging a load weighing 40 tons on each of them. Thus, Rossi's project was nevertheless accepted for execution.

The project for the decoration of the hall was not fully implemented. The architect conceived it more elegant than it was executed. Bronze and copper were replaced by woodcarving and artistic painting. This decision was made due to the lack of funds that at that time went to the needs of the army. The design of the auditorium based on Rossi's sketches was created by Okhta carvers, stucco masters N. Sipyagin and M. Sokolov, artists the Dodonov brothers.

Nicholas I wanted to see the upholstery of the auditorium with red fabric. Rossi announced to the emperor that this was not available, and if you wait for its purchase, then it will not be possible to open the theater on time. Thus, Rossi achieved the realization of his plan - to decorate auditorium blue upholstery.

The grand opening of the theater took place on August 31, 1832. The next day the papers wrote:

"This huge, elegant, majestic building was built by the architect Rossi. The hall contains five tiers of boxes, except for the benoirs. There are 242 chairs located in nine tiers. ), numbered benches, very comfortable for spectators and listeners... The performance opened with the tragedy Pozharsky, or the Liberation of Moscow Spanish dances"[Quoted in: 2, p. 530].

The theater was named after the wife of Emperor Nicholas I Alexandra Feodorovna. Since then, it has been called "Alexandrinka". The building was included in a single architectural ensemble Ostrovsky square. Above the colonnade, the facade of the theater is decorated with a quadriga, ruled by the god of arts Apollo. The author of the sculpture is S. S. Pimenov. The Apollo Quadriga was made by the masters of the Alexander Plant. For this work, masters Pyotr Katerinin and Pyotr Odintsov, as well as apprentice Rogozin received silver medals on Anninsky ribbons, and master Andrei Malikov received a gold medal.

Alexandrinsky Theater was originally under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Imperial Court. Its Rossi walls were painted light grey.

In the year of the opening of the Alexandrinsky Theater, on the basis of an imperial decree, the directorate provided Karl Rossi with a free and perpetual use of a ticket to box No. 14 of the second tier. On January 14, 1837, the director of the imperial theaters Gideons reported to the Minister of the Court:

".... Mr. Rossi suggested to the directorate if she would like to take away this box from him, and pay him money for it.
Due to the uncertainty whether Mr. Rossi still has the right to make such transfers of lodges without special permission ... I did not dare to accept his proposals.
But this box is occupied at almost all performances by various persons from the public, and as an entrance to it ... it is always done according to a special ticket issued to it by Mr. Rossi, it was discovered that a person was sent to the theater with this ticket, who sells in the corridor I tell this box in places about a loner of various kinds to people ... This sent one was not only confirmed many times not to do this again, but even ... he was detained in the theater for that with an announcement that if he continued such actions in the future, then .. will be escorted to the police.
Despite this, however, it turned out that during the performance of the former January 10, they were let into the box in the same way ... seven people of various kinds, of which a quarrel and a fight occurred between the two, during the investigation of which it turned out that the police found that among those who were sitting in this box there were nobles or officials, as well as serfs..." [Quoted from: 2, 548]

After this incident, Rossi was announced that the next such incident would end for him with a deprivation of a ticket.

Once upon a time, on the days of theatrical premieres and benefit performances, a long queue of carriages and carriages lined up at the entrance to Alexandrinka. Among the "golden youth" of that time, it was indecent to go to the theater on foot, so enterprising cabbies specially put their carriages near the theater, on Nevsky Prospekt. From there, young people drove to their destination.

On the eve of 1849, Nicholas I wanted to update the decoration of the auditorium of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. He ordered the four boxes near the stage to be enlarged and the upholstery of the hall to be replaced with red, which was entrusted to Carl Rossi, who created two projects for alterations. This work was the last for the 72-year-old architect.

IN Soviet time the theater was named "A.S. Pushkin Academic Drama Theatre". With the acquisition of this name, he also began to be called "Pushkin".

The building of the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on Ostrovsky Square was built in 1832 according to the project of Carl Rossi.

The territory where the Alexandrinsky Theater was built belonged to the colonel in the 18th century. Anichkov, the builder of the bridge named after him, and was bought from him by the treasury. There was a garden on this territory, which extended to the present Sadovaya Street.

Anichkovs (Onichkovs) - a kind of Russian columnar nobility. During last three For centuries, it has been closely associated with the city of St. Petersburg, giving its name to several key urban infrastructure facilities.

Coat of arms of the Anichkov family (in the old days of the Onichkov family).

The genus has been known since the 16th century. According to a later genealogical tale, in 1301 a certain Tatar Khan Berka (Berkay), prince of the Great Horde, entered the service of Ivan Kalita. After the baptism, Burke allegedly took the name Onikiy, married the daughter of a nobleman Vikula Vorontsov, and his descendants began to be called Anichkovs.

In 1801, the architect Brenna rebuilt a large wooden pavilion that stood on the site of the present square into a theater, in which the Italian entrepreneur Antonio Casassi organized an Italian opera troupe.

Vincenzo Brenna
Vincenzo (Vikenty Frantsevich) Brenna (August 20, 1747, Florence - May 17, 1820, Dresden) was an Italian decorator and architect. Court architect of Emperor Paul I.

Engraving by S. Cardelli after the original by A. Ritt. 1790s

Casassi, Antonio

Antonio Casassi is an Italian impresario who worked in St. Petersburg. In 1780 he entered the service of the directorate of the St. Petersburg imperial theaters. Information about Antonio Casassi himself is extremely scarce. In 1801, on his order, V. Brenna built a wooden theater in St. Petersburg, on the site of the current Alexandrinsky Theater, in which he kept an Italian opera troupe. The troupe and the theater itself, under the name "Small", came in 1803 under the jurisdiction of the state directorate.

This room eventually ceased to satisfy the growing needs of the city, and it was decided to build a new, stone theater. However, the implementation of the idea was postponed due to the unstable situation under Alexander I - military conflicts with Turkey, the war with Napoleon in 1812.

In 1818, the boundaries of the garden were narrowed, and the area formed between the Public Library and the garden of the Anichkov Palace was transferred to the theater directorate.

Rossi building

Karl Rossi in the period from 1816 to 1827 developed a number of projects for the reconstruction and development of this area. All these options included the construction of a city theater on the square. The final version of the project was approved on April 5, 1828, in the same year the construction of the theater building began.

Four years later, on August 31 (September 12), 1832, in the center of St. Petersburg, on Alexandrinskaya Square (now Ostrovsky Square), on the site of the wooden "Maly" Theater, the grand opening of a new majestic Empire style building of the theater took place.

Alexandrinsky Theatre. 1903

State academic theater drama named after A.S. Pushkin. 1957

The main façade of the theatre, on the side of Nevsky Prospekt, is decorated with a deep multi-column loggia, the space of which is, as it were, part of Ostrovsky Square.

Alexandria Theatre, 19th century

Alexandria Theatre, 19th century

The side facades of the building are made in the form of eight-column porticoes.

On the other side, the street (Architect Rossi) designed by Rossi and constituting a common ensemble with the theater leads to the theater, the perspective of which closes the entire width of the rear, almost flat, but richly decorated facade of the theater.

The building is framed by an expressive sculptural frieze with antique theatrical masks and garlands of laurel branches. In the niches on the end facades there are statues of the Muses, on the attic of the main facade there is a quadriga of Apollo. The work was carried out by one of prominent sculptors of his time - V. I. Demut-Malinovsky.

Muse with harp (right niche)

Muse with a mask (left niche)

Interior

A loggia with a powerful Corinthian colonnade, crowned with an attic with stucco reliefs of Glory and the chariot of Apollo, a rich development of cornices, friezes, bas-reliefs, rhythmic lines of windows, arches, balustrades - all this makes up a solemn ensemble, a kind of architectural symphony; the interior decoration of the theater is also remarkable.

Seats for spectators were created according to the most perfect for its time multi-tiered system of boxes with an amphitheater and a spacious stalls. The five-tiered auditorium is notable for its good proportions and excellent acoustics. In 1841 there were 107 boxes (10 in the benoir, 26 boxes in the first tier, 28 in the second, 27 in the third and 16 in the fourth), a balcony for 36 people, a fourth-tier gallery for 151 seats, 390 seats in the fifth tier, 231 chairs in the stalls (9 rows) and 183 seats behind them. In total, the theater could accommodate up to 1,700 people.

Alexandria theater today

The decoration of the auditorium is solemn and elegant, the interiors of the theater have practically retained the original decoration. Initially, blue upholstery was used, it was replaced in 1849 with crimson: the theater, which was lit by oil lamps, was sooty from the inside. For the same reason, over time, all wall and ceiling paintings were updated, in addition, the stage was completely redone later. In addition to the velvet finish, the boxes are richly decorated with gilded carvings: the carvings of the central ("Tsar's") box and the boxes near the stage are made according to Rossi's drawings, and the ornament on the barriers of the tiers was created in the second half of the 19th century.

The decoration of the auditorium was complemented by a wonderful perspective pictorial ceiling, which depicted Olympus and Parnassus (artist A.K. Vigi), later replaced.

original engineering design

The roof of the theater is based on the original systems of metal structures invented by C. I. Rossi in collaboration with engineer M. E. Clark. This design was innovative, and was proposed for the first time in the history of construction equipment. The roof rests on 27 iron arched trusses with cast iron parts with a span of 29.8 m. auditorium. The tiers of stocks are supported by cast-iron brackets. The ceiling above the stage is a system of triangular trusses with a span of 10.76 m, supported by cast-iron consoles and struts.

K. I. Rossi, defended his construction before inert official circles, which was not easy. Confidence in the strength of the metal structure he proposed is illustrated by one of the reports
“... in the event that ... some kind of misfortune occurred from the installation of metal roofs, then, as an example for others, let me be hung on one of the rafters of the theater the same hour.

Vladimir YARANTSEV

ALEKSANDRINSKAYA SQUARE
AND THEATER STREET

T Theatrical, or Aleksandrinskaya, Square (now Ostrovsky Square), Teatralnaya Street (now Architect Rossi Street) and Sq. Chernysheva (now Lomonosov Square) - a system of ensembles in the center of St. Petersburg, created by architect K.I. Rossi in 1828–1834 on Spassky Island, on the site of vast areas between the Fontanka, Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street.

Opened to Nevsky prospect, Theater (Alexandrinskaya) Square with the Alexandrinsky Theater built by Rossi and the new building of the Imperial Public Library is located on the territory that was part of the estate of the Anichkov Palace. (The palace got its name from the neighboring bridge across the Fontanka, and the bridge - from the name of the head of the military team that stood at the bridge at the beginning of the 18th century.) In 1793, the estate with the Anichkov Palace was acquired by the treasury, which was in charge of the property of sovereigns, to accommodate the Cabinet of Her Imperial Majesty . In 1795–1801 Cabinet architect E.T. Sokolov built a building in the Anichkova estate on the corner of Nevsky and Sadovaya for the Imperial Public Library established by Catherine II.

V. Sadovnikov. Alexandrinsky Theater and Public Library. 1835

In 1799, part of the Anichkova estate was transferred to the Directorate of Imperial Theaters, and the Italian pavilion that existed in the garden was rebuilt into a theater. Since 1803, the theater building has been the main site of the imperial Russian acting troupe (from now on - the Maly Theater). Since 1809, the Anichkov estate, presented to the sister of Emperor Alexander I, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Oldenburg, became her residence.

The idea of ​​creating the architecture of the square between the Anichkov Palace and the Public Library belongs to J.F. Thomas de Thomon, who in 1811 designed the theater in the form Greek temple in the depths of the square, separated from the Nevsky by a fence with a gate. Another, rounded square, framed by a colonnade, was outlined in the direction of Sadovaya. The highest approved project prevented the implementation of the war with Napoleon.

After four years of widowhood, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna married a second time - to the heir to the Württemberg throne, Crown Prince Wilhelm, and left Russia. In 1817, Emperor Alexander I presented the Anichkov Palace to his brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (the future Emperor Nicholas I), for whom the architects K.I. Rossi and A.A. Menelas replanned the estate.

On its border with the site Maly Theater, approximately along the axes of the side risalits of the palace, Rossi built two garden pavilions, decorated with images of soldiers in Russian armor with laurel wreaths, for a collection of weapons (Nikolai Pavlovich's own arsenal) and for flowers (probably for his wife). A metal fence was installed between the pavilions. Carrying out these works, Rossi already envisaged the creation of a square with a theater. The final project of the ensemble of two squares was formed by 1828.

The monumental building of the theater was erected as a compositional and semantic center of the square created for it, subordinating even the imperial Anichkov Palace located on the same square. The theater building, set in the depths of the square, is designed for a circular view, all of its facades are ceremonial. The first floor appears as a powerful foundation, treated with rustication - a symbol of masonry. Having reworked the type of Greek temple traditional for classicist architecture, Rossi placed on the main facade of the theater facing Nevsky Prospekt not a portico, but a spectacular six-column Corinthian loggia at the level of the 2nd and 3rd floors. Above it is a stepped attic, on the plane of which the figures of Slavs are placed, crowning the Russian state eagle (now replaced by a lyre). The composition is completed by the quadriga of Apollo (sculptor S.S. Pimenov), signifying the triumph of the arts.

The enormous height of the auditorium and the stage box required an additional floor raised above the main volume of the building. It is decorated with frequent small windows with semicircular completion. On the side facades, the porches protruding far from the wall serve as a plinth for powerful eight-columned Corinthian porticos. The back facade of the theater is decorated with Corinthian pilasters. The sculptural decor of the facade, which stands out against the background of the walls, echoes the purpose of the theater building as a temple of the arts. These are statues of the Muses in niches on the side projections of the main and rear facades and a wide bas-relief frieze encircling the building, visually continuing the line of capitals - with images theatrical masks and garlands.

The new theater, named Alexandrinsky in honor of the reigning Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I, was opened on August 31, 1832. Like all the buildings of the imperial theaters of both capitals, it was a stage for various imperial troupes subordinate to the unified Directorate of the imperial theaters.

The eastern border of Alexandrinsky Square - towards the Anichkov Palace and the Fontanka - is marked by a fence and pavilions in the garden of the Anichkov Palace. The western boundary is set by the new building of the Public Library built simultaneously with the theater. It was attached to the old corner part of the library near Nevsky Prospekt, but in Rossi's composition it became the main building. The façade of the library building, built by the architect Rossi, is harmonized with the façade of the library building by the architect Sokolov so that both are perceived as a single whole.

The decoration of the facade of the library building allegorically interprets it as a temple of science. A grandiose Ionic loggia of 18 columns stretched between the risalits, between which there are statues of sages and poets of antiquity: Homer, Euripides, Hippocrates, Demosthenes, Virgil, Tacitus, Cicero, Herodotus, Euclid, Plato. Above each statue is a multi-figured bas-relief. The building is crowned with an elongated stepped attic with figures of Glory and the Russian state eagle (replaced in Soviet times with the emblem "a book with a feather in a laurel wreath"), on the attic is a statue of Minerva with a small sphinx on a helmet, an allegory of wisdom. The facades of the library building with white columns, statues and decorative details have retained Rossi's favorite color. gris-perle(pearl grey).

The axis of Alexandrinskaya Square on the other side of Nevsky Prospekt continues with Malaya Sadovaya Street leading to Manezhnaya Square, and ends with a decorative portico built by Rossi. The portico is a kind of reflection of Alexandrinskaya Square, connecting it with the system of Manezhnaya and Mikhailovskaya Squares.

Behind the theater are the identical buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Directorate of Imperial Theaters with a theater school. Their facades, finished with Doric semi-columns, are a kind of backstage of Alexandrinsky Square. The Doric order of ten simple semi-columns on each building speaks of subordination. These buildings merge into Teatralnaya Street, which consists of only two unusually long buildings, whose height is equal to the width of the street (22 meters), and the length is exactly ten times greater. The lower floor of the buildings of Theater Street was originally arcaded and corresponded in width to the loggias of the theater. The two upper tiers of buildings, contrary to the canons of the Empire, are decorated with double columns (50 on each building).

At the other end of Teatralnaya Street, Rossi decorated the round Chernyshev Square near the bridge of the same name across the Fontanka, continuing the tradition of bridgehead squares outlined by A. Kvasov. He built on it the buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Public Education with huge windows. Chernysheva Street passes through the two-tiered triple arch of the Ministry of Public Education, which has become the center of Chernysheva Square. Above the arch inside the building was the ministerial church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, marked on the facade with double Doric columns and crowned with a massive cross.

The facade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the side of the Fontanka is decorated with three-quarter columns and symmetrical loggias. The same architectural solution has a narrow facade of the building from the side of the square. The two-tiered triple arch of the building of the Ministry of Public Education opens up a perspective on the twin Doric columns of the Great Gostiny Dvor, visually crowned with the dome of the Kazan Cathedral located far behind them. The site opposite the ministry between the building of the theater school and the Fontanka remained in private ownership, and the grandiose project of K.I. Rossi was not finally completed.

M. Mikeshin. Monument to Catherine II. 1862–1873

In the center of Alexandrinskaya Square, Rossi arranged the second public garden in the history of St. Petersburg. In 1862–1873 a magnificent and heavy monument to Catherine II was installed in it according to the project of the artist M.O. Mikeshin. He used the bell-shaped form of the monument, creating a general unity of the composition and the image of "Orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality." On a pedestal of gray polished granite, the Russian Empress with the attributes of imperial power is surrounded by eminent figures his reign. In the lower part of the pedestal there is a dedicatory inscription “To Empress Catherine II in the reign of Emperor Alexander II” and a composition of attributes, in the center of which, in a laurel wreath, is an allegory of the law (a book with the inscription “Law”) as the main historical merit of both sovereigns.

K. Rossi, sculptor S. Pimenov. Rossi pavilion. 1817–1818

Mikeshin's project was carried out by architects D. I. Grimm and V. A. Schroeter, sculptors M. A. Chizhov (statue of the Empress) and A. M. Opekushin (statues of statesmen). Despite the artistic divergence from the Empire ensemble of the square created by Rossi, the monument to the Empress is connected with it in a meaningful way - developing the theme of Catherine's "Golden Age", embodied by Rossi in the system of orders and allegories, designated by Apollo and Minerva. But, placed along the central axes of the library and the theater, this monument broke the visual connections of the buildings as parts of the ensemble.

On Chernyshevaya Square, the chief gardener of St. Petersburg, A. Vize, arranged a small square; in 1892, a bronze bust of M.V. Lomonosov (sculptor P.P. Zabello) was installed in it in front of the building of the Ministry of Public Education.

A. Bezeman. Alexandrinsky Theatre. Mid 19th century

When creating Alexandrinskaya Square, Rossi left the plots on the sides of the theater free. In the 1870s, the block along the side facade of the theater next to the building of the Ministry of the Interior was built up. In 1874, a four-story house of the Imperial Russian musical society in modest forms of orderless neo-renaissance. Nearby, opposite the side portico of the theatre, an imposing four-story building of the First City Credit Society was erected in order neo-Renaissance, with a deep rustication of the facade and Corinthian pilasters at the level of the 3rd-4th floors. The building undoubtedly violated the order hierarchy of the organization of the square, but the general appearance of the facade is perceived more as an accompaniment to Rossi's buildings than as a contrast.

N. Basin. Income house. 1870s

At the same time, next to them, in line with the main facade of the theater, the architect N.P. Basin built his own tenement house- the architectural manifesto of the Russian style of Alexander II, which became famous. This is a new stage in the search for a national style in architecture - later nicknamed the "rooster style". In the context of the Empire ensemble of Rossi, the house makes a stunning impression on the viewer.

Located on the corner of Tolmazov Lane (now Krylov Lane), which runs from the square, Basin's five-story house has two facades and, thus, unlike other buildings, has volume, competing with the theater building. It is emphasized by bay windows, including the corner, crowned with turrets. The architectural design of the building is based on neo-Renaissance forms (which corresponds to the real origin of the Russian architecture of the Moscow Kingdom from the Italian Renaissance). The rich plasticity of the facades is created by their diverse design: windows of different configurations and sizes, architraves, sandriks, columns, crowning the cornice with kokoshniks. All facades are generously ornamented with stucco patterns, reproducing the decorative motifs of Russian wooden carving and embroidery. The embossed roosters that decorate the facades of the Basin house, transferred from Russian towels, have become an iconic element of the style that gave it its name.

The architects of the period of historical styles did not lose the culture of the ensemble, but rethought the ensemble as saturation of the urban environment with historical associations, a free combination of buildings of different styles, symbolically similar to the combination of buildings of different times. Basin's house on Alexandrinskaya Square developed a clash of styles, already set by the monument to Catherine II in a less demonstrative, but also "Russian" style. It is significant that the then owner of the Anichkov Palace, Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, was the future emperor Alexander III- it was during these years that the first of the Romanovs let go of his beard, demonstrating a desire for national traditions.

E. Vorotilov. Public library. 1901

On the remaining undeveloped site between the library and Basin's house, the architect E.S. Vorotilov in 1896-1901. erected a new library building. The facade of the building along the square continues the facade of Rossi and is almost equal in length to it. Vorotilov repeated the vertical divisions of Rossi and the general compositional scheme of the extended central part with side risalits, maintaining forms close to the general classical appearance of the complex. Following the spirit of the times, Vorotilov did not plaster the facades, but faced them with gray sandstone, in the same tone as the walls of the Rossi building, but without highlighting the columns, architraves, etc.

With a large size, Vorotilov's building, which otherwise has every reason to be a city-planning accent, is emphatically modestly inferior to Rossi's building, as if receding into the shadows. The artistic solution of the Vorotilov building was more than ten years ahead of its time, anticipating the neoclassical style in St. Petersburg architecture.

On the other side of the theatre, the building of the Administration of the Vindavo-Rybinskaya railway, built at the beginning of the 20th century in the forms of a modernized neoclassical style, repeats the motifs of the Empire decor in the decoration of the facades: lion masks, wreaths, garlands, cornucopias; figures of Slavs crown the monogram of the railway.

In 1902, a building appeared on the opposite side of Alexandrinskaya Square from Nevsky Prospekt trading house brothers Eliseevs (architect G.V. Baranovsky) - a bright manifesto of the Art Nouveau style. On its facades on the consoles there are figures that are allegories of Industry (master with a ship in his hands), Trade (naked Mercury), Science, Art. In general, the sculptural decoration of the square became the embodiment of the idea of ​​​​ideal kingship - the “golden age”.

Alexandrinsky theater building, created by K. I. Rossi, is one of the most characteristic and outstanding architectural monuments of Russian classicism. It plays a dominant role in the ensemble of Ostrovsky Square. As a result of the redevelopment of the estate of the Anichsky Palace in 1816–1818, between the building public library and the garden of the Anichsky Palace, a vast city square arose. For more than ten years, from 1816 to 1827, Rossi developed a number of projects for the reconstruction and development of this square, which included the construction of a city theater on it.

The final version of the project was approved on April 5, 1828. The construction of the theater began in the same year. On August 31, 1832, its grand opening took place. The theater building is located in the depths of Ostrovsky Square and faces Nevsky Prospekt with its main facade. The rusticated walls of the lower floor serve as a plinth for the solemn colonnades that adorn the facades of the theatre. The colonnade of the main façade of six Corinthian columns stands out clearly against the backdrop of a wall pushed back into the depths. traditional motif The classical portico brought forward is here replaced by a spectacular loggia motif, rare in St. Petersburg. The surface of the walls on the sides of the loggia is cut with shallow semicircular niches with statues of the Muses - Terpsichore and Melpomene and completed with a wide sculptural frieze encircling the building. The attic of the main façade, decorated with sculptural figures of Glory, is crowned with the quadriga of Apollo, symbolizing the successes of Russian art.

Solemn and spectacular are the side facades of the theater and the southern facade, which closes the perspective of Zodchego Rossi Street. In his work on the project of the theater, Rossi focused his attention on its three-dimensional solution, monumentality and expressiveness of the external appearance.

Inside the building, the most interesting is the auditorium. Its proportions are well found. Fragments of the original architectural design have been preserved here, in particular, decorative gilded carvings of the boxes near the stage and the central large (“royal”) box. The barriers of the tiers are decorated with gilded ornaments made in the second half of the 19th century. Sculpture plays an important role in the design of facades. Its performers were S. S. Pimenov, V. I. Demut-Malinovsky and A. Triscorni. The chariot of Apollo was minted from sheet copper at the Alexander iron foundry according to the model of S. S. Pimenov. By the centenary of the theater in 1932, under the direction of I. V. Krestovsky, the lost statues of Terpsichore, Melpomene, Clio and Thalia, installed in niches on the facades, were re-made.

History of the Alexandrinsky Theater

In 1801, a wooden theater was built in the gardens of Colonel Anichkin for the performances of the Italian opera troupe. Due to the growing popularity of this art form, the building soon ceased to satisfy the demands of the public, so a decision was made to build a new one. The implementation of the idea put several military conflicts, including the war with Napoleon. In 1818, the gardens were significantly narrowed, resulting in a vast area given over to the construction of a new theater.

The well-known architect Karl Ivanovich Rossi spent eleven years developing a project for the development of the resulting area. In April 1828, it was finally approved final version, which included the new stone theater. The process was significantly delayed due to the ambitious plans of the architect.

The innovative approach that he planned to apply in the construction of the building was met with disbelief by officials. Rossi used a system of metal ceilings, developed jointly with engineer Clark, which included original steel structures for roofs, ceilings and balconies. In one of the documents, the words of the architect were preserved that he agreed to be hung on the rafters if his original decision would cause misfortune. As a result, he managed to defend his innovation and four years after the start of construction, a new theater was built, striking in its size and splendor.

Architecture and decoration of the Alexandrinsky Theater

The main facade of the building from the side of Nevsky Prospekt overlooks Ostrovsky Square. An original solution for St. Petersburg - a loggia with six massive Corinthian columns - replaces the traditional portico in the ancient Greek style. The wall of the lower floor, decorated with rustication, serves as a visual support for the colonnade, behind which there is a rhythmic line of arched windows. On both sides of the loggia there are shallow niches with statues of Melpomene and Terpsichore. The composition is completed by a sculptural frieze encircling the building. Above the attic of the main façade, decorated with sculptural images, there is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg - the quadriga of Apollo.

Despite its considerable age, today a significant part of the interior decoration has been preserved. After the replacement of the smoky blue upholstery in 1849 and the renewal of the ceiling painting, they practically did not change. The carvings of the royal boxes and boxes close to the stages and the gilded panels installed later on the barriers of the tiers remained unchanged.